Week Four Fantasy Football 2017

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It’s hard to believe that the long awaited football season is already a quarter of the way done! The season has flown by and we haven’t had enough time to process all that is happening. Here are some of the biggest surprise fantasy breakouts of the first quarter:

The biggest breakout of the season by far has been Kareem Hunt. He came out strong the first game of the 2017 season against the Patriots like a tank, barreling past the once strong Patriots defense. He already has a total of 501 yards, and four touchdowns, averaging over seven yards per touch. On top of his rushing yards, Hunt has 157 yards of receiving, averaging 13 yards per catch. This rookie has shocked the nation with his strength, quickness, and skill. With Hunt’s young energy and Alex Smith’s veteran experience, the Chiefs have fought their way to an undefeated quarter.

Another running back breakout of the season has been Todd Gurley. He and Jared Goff have to lead the Rams to a record of 3-1, which is a dramatic change from their previous record of 4-12. After a slow two first games, where he recorded 44 and 80 yards, Gurley picked it up and rushed for 113 and 121 yards in Week Three and Four. Last game, Gurley lead the game with 121 yards of rushing and lead the team with 94 yards of receiving and recorded a touchdown. He currently has a total of 362 yards of rushing and 232 yards of receiving. In the beginning of the season, fans were expecting to see another bust of a season, but Todd Gurley proved them all wrong.

Another young player that took us all by surprise is the Vikings wide receiver, Stefon Diggs. The fifth-round draft pick is currently leading the league in receiving yards and has four touchdowns. While most wide receivers would struggle when they switch quarterbacks in the middle of the season, Diggs has thrived, receiving for 271 yards in the past two games while catching passes from backup Case Keenum. Most players his size allow themselves to be roughed up by corners and safeties, but Diggs has found a way to use it to his advantage.

There is another Vikings player that has been getting attention, and that is rookie running back Dalvin Cook. Cook has 354 yards of rushing and 100 yards of receiving. He is averaging five yards per carry and has two touchdowns. He has a total of 74 carries, making him one of the running backs with the most touches in the league. He has not yet been able to repeat his stunning Week One performance, but he has been consistently solid for the Vikings. Sadly, the young player tore his ACL in his Week Four game against the Lions, so he will miss the rest of the season to heal his injury.

The top performing tight end in the league is Zach Ertz. He has 326 yards and a touchdown and is fifth in the league in receiving yards. He is averaging almost 13 yards per touch while also being one of the league’s best downfield blockers. In three out of his four games, he has recorded 80 or more yards of receiving. Playing with receivers Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Torrey Smith, and pass-catching running back Darren Sproles, no one expected Zach Ertz to be the first option receiving, but he is leading the Eagles team on offense.

Sadly, there are just as many busts as breakouts. Here are some of the players that may have disappointed you this quarter:

The most notable underperformer is Cardinals running back David Johnson. The player that people were depending on got injured early in the season, making many people with the first overall pick in their league’s draft disenchanted. After a season that features 1,200 over rushing yards and 870 receiving yards with 20 touchdowns, this season is a big step down. While the tragic future of his season is not his fault, he is disappointing many fantasy players.

A bust that has no excuses is cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. He is 34th in the league with only 212 receiving yards. His season long catch was small 36 yard pass with only one other pass over 20 yards. Bryant be an elite deep threat in the league, putting safeties on edge. Now, however, he is settling for short quick passes and is not using his speed like he did last season.

A running back that has not met the expectations of fans is our very own Marshawn Lynch. He is 33rd in the league for rushing yards with 151 on 45 attempts. He is only three yards ahead of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and ten ahead of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He is averaging just over three yards per carry with only one touchdown. He also has no carries for over 20 yards. Everyone had big hopes or the Oakland native and the Raiders, but sadly they have not performed as well as expected.

I know it’s sad to see the long awaited season go by so quickly, but there is still a lot of great football to come. Good luck in Quarter Two!